Choosing Quality Child Care

Choosing quality child care not only provides you security of mind but also promotes healthy development in children.  National research has shown that higher quality child care is associated with better mother/child relationships, fewer reported behavioral problems and better scores on measures of cognitive and language skills for children from a wide variety of backgrounds. 

Steps for Choosing Quality Child Care

1. Start as soon as possible

Finding the right child care option can be very time consuming.  The sooner you begin the more time you have to make the best choice.

2. Obtain a list of child care providers

Begin by calling your local child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agency.  You can find the CCR&R that serves you through NACCRRA's website or if you are in Kansas, the KACCRRA website.  Child Start's CCR&R serves the entire 316 and 620 area codes. 

Child Start's CCR&R will provide you a list of family child care homes and/or centers that meet your needs based on location, days & hours, children's ages, and whether the provider accepts SRS Child Care Subsidy payments.  This service is free.  If you are running short on time, Child Start's referral department can do an enhanced referral for a small fee. Call for more information about enhanced referrals. 

Click here to begin looking for child care with a free online child care search or call 1-877-678-2548.

Learn the differences between Child Care Centers, Licensed Family Child Care Homes, and Registered Family Child Care homes.  Click here

Options for obtaining a listing of child care providers:

Online: Child Start's Online Child Care Referral Form
Call: 316-682-3962 or 1-800-684-3962

All referrals, except for online referrals, will be ready for fax, mail, e-mail, or pick-up after 10:00 a.m. on the following business day.  Sorry, but names of providers are not given over the phone. 

3. Call providers

Make a call to the providers that will work out for you from your list and ask general questions to determine if you wish to visit them.  If you do, ask when would be a good time to visit.

4. Visit the providers

Before you leave make sure that you have a list of questions to ask and of what to look for.  You can download Child Start’s Child Care Checklist in pdf format here - Family Child Care | Child Care Center Checklist (Download Adobe Acrobat, a free, safe program to view and print the document), or visit Child Care Aware for other versions of the checklist available for download. 

Take your child with you on your visits to the providers to see how the child and provider interact and to see how comfortable your child feels in the environment. 

Make sure to see a copy of the provider’s contract and ask about anything that seems unclear.

5. Make your decision

Take into account everything that is important to you and the results of the quality check list.  Think about what you saw at each visit and make the best choice for your child and family.

6. Determine the start date

Call the provider and inform them of your decision to take your child to their facility.  Double check the items you need to bring for your child.  Kansas law requires that several forms be completed and a copy of your child’s immunization records and physical must be on file with the provider.  Plan on arriving early the first day to take care of any paperwork and to help your child adjust to the new environment.  If at all possible, stay with your child at the provider’s house for a day to make the transition even easier for everyone.

7. Stay involved

Once you choose child care it is important to stay active in the relationship with your provider.  Ask questions, see how you can help, visit the child care and read a book, be involved with special events, whatever you can do to let your provider know that you think what they are doing is important and what your child takes out of it is valuable.